It’s the valentine mug of 2001 which was the first ever mug I ever bought, and which has spurred me to collect more.  Although I have quite a sizeable collection now, most of my mugs have a story to tell, and in chronicling the collection, I think it is also good to take note of the stories behind the mugs as well.I had arrived in New York in June of 2000, and although I had been going to Starbucks regularly thanks to my coffee drinking hubby, I never really paid particular attention to the mugs.  In February 2001, I saw this mug and was just drawn to it because of its design.  I picked it up and used it as a pencil holder in our room.  We had a few mugs in the house already by then, but they were already there and being used by Alan when I got here.This will always have a special place in the display because it’s the one that started it all.

2/22/17: A note from Pinay New Yorker: A more updated post appears here.